DOWN NEW^ year’s CREEK. 83 
shells lay in heaps in its bed, or were abundantly scattered 
over it ; and we remarked that they differed from those on 
the plains of the Macquarie. A circumstance that surprised 
us much, was the re-appearance of the flooded-gum upon its 
banks, and that too of a large size. We had not seen any 
to the westward of the marshes, and we were, consequently, 
led to indulge in more sanguine expectation as to our ulti- 
mate success than we had ever ventured to do before. 
The party crossed to the right bank of the creek, and 
then moved m a westerly direction along it in search of 
water. A brush extended to our right, and some broken 
stony ground, rather elevated, was visible, to which Mr. 
Hume rode ; nor did he join me again until after I had 
halted the party for the night. 
My search for water had been unsuccessful, and the sun 
had set, when I came upon a broad part of the creek that 
appeared very favourable for an encampment, as it was en- 
compassed by high banks, and would afford the men a 
greater facility of watching the cattle, that I knew would 
stray away if they could. 
My anxiety for them led me to wander down the bed of 
the creek, when, to my joy, I found a pond of water 
within a hundred yards of the tents. It is impossible for 
me to describe the relief I felt at this success, or the glad- 
ness it spread among the men. Mr. Hume joined me at 
dusk, and informed me that he had made a circuit, and 
had struck upon the creek about three miles below us but 
that, in tracing it up, he had not found a drop of water 
G 2 
